Sunny Priyan
The image reveals swirling gas and dust near the Tarantula Nebula-our nearby universe’s most prolific star factory, 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Murray
The nebula’s vibrant clouds contain wispy tendrils and dark dust clumps-cosmic dust far different from everyday household particles like skin cells or plastic.
Image Credit: Meta AI
Cosmic dust is often comprised of carbon or of molecules called silicates, which contain silicon and oxygen.
Image Credit: Meta AI
The data in this image was part of an observing program that aims to characterize the properties of cosmic dust in the Large Magellanic Cloud and other nearby galaxies.
Image Credit: Meta AI
Individual cosmic dust grains are extremely tiny-clumping in young star disks to grow into larger particles that can ultimately form planets.
Image Credit: Meta AI
Cosmic dust helps cool gas clouds to spark star formation; helps in making new molecules by providing atoms bond in the vastness of interstellar space.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Murray